Torpedo-adjuster



(No Model.)

J. H. BEVINGTON.

TORPBDO ADJUSTER.

No. 340,275. Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

ZnvehZdr:

N. PETERS. Pholo-Ulhogmpher. Washington. 0. (5.

ilnrrsn STATES JAllIES H. 'BEVINGTON,

or cLnvntANn, OHIO.

TORPEDO-ADJUSTER.

EPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,275, dated April20, 1886.

' Application filed April20,1885. SerialNo. 163,830. (."oanmlell To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES H. BEVINGTON, of Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements inTorpedo-Adjusters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The nature of this invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements in adjustable forks or adjusters, by means of whichtorpedoes and other signals can be deposited with certainty upon therail of a railway-track by the operator on the passing train; and theinventionis designed as animprovement upon the devices for a similarpurpose, as shown, respectivel y,in patents issued to me, No. 27 3,441,dated March 6, 1883, and No. 298,935, dated May 20, 1881. In implementsfor this purpose there must be provision made for de positing suchtorpedoes more frequently than can be done with the devices now in use,for if such torpedoes are required to be placed at intervals of fiftyfeet, as is demonstrated by many railroad rules,with theimplementsnow inuse this cannot be done, as they are designed to hold but a singletorpedo; hence, when this one is placed there is not time, unless thetrain is running very slowly, for the operator to adjust another torpedoin the fork and place it upon the rail at the required distance; and insuch implements there is no provision made for preventing the impact ofthe fork against the bolts and nuts, which form a partof the rail-joint,damaging the adjuster; and in the implements now in use there is noprovision for an extension of the handle, which experimental usedemonstrates is necessary, as it gives a greater range to the adjuster,and when not in use allows it to be so shortened as to be easily stowedaway in the ordinary tool-box carried upon railway-trains.

The object of the invention is to so construct the device as to meet therequirements above referred to, and make it more convenient for use thanthose now on the market.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved device in the act ofplacing a torpedo on the rail. Fig. 2 is an elevationof the samepartially in section.

In the drawings, A represents the head,

cast or formed integral with the arms B, G, and l), the device somewhatresembling in appearance a three-tined fork. The end of the arm Bterminates in a rectangular hollow plate, a, having a chamber, '1),therein, the opening in which is presented inwardly or toward the arm 0,which also terminates in a hollow plate, 0, having a chamber, (1, therein, with openings on either side presented outwardly toward the arms Band D, and over the center of this chamber or recess d there is acentral bridge, 6. The arm D also terminates in a hollow plate, (0,having a chamber, 1/, therein, the opening in which is also presentedinwardly or toward the arm 0.

In practice a torpedo, E, having a spring, F, centrally secured to thebottom thereof, is employed by inserting one end of the spring F intothe chamber in one of the arms B and D, and inserting the other end ofsaid spring in the chamber of the arm 0, where it is confined by thebridge 6. The other side of the adjuster having been provided withanother similar torpedo, and in a similar way, is now ready to deposit atorpedo on the rail G; butin so doing it is necessary that the torpedobe held against accidental displacement, and this is done by securing tothe side or front of the head A a leaf or fiat spring,H, which will restagainst the top of the torpedo, as shown.

in Fig. 1, one of such springs being provided for each side of theadjuster.

\Vhen in use in placing torpedoes on the rail, it frequently will happenthat this must be done in the immediate vicinity of thejoint in the railG, when the arms (or any of them) may be brought into contact with thenut or head of the fish-plate belt I, and such impact, with the trainupon which the operator stands running at a high rate of speed, willhave a tendency to break or bend such arm, thereby rendering theimplement unservieeable until repaired. To prevent this and give thedevice the necessary elasticity to prevent such a disaster, a spring, J,is secured to the head A, and between it and the handle. This handle maybe made in any desired manner, so long as there is a spring interposedbetween it and the handle of the adj uster-head. The handle which Iprefer is composed of a handle, K, proper, upon which is sleeved thetube L,and upon this is sleeved another tube, M, which is rigidlysecured to the spring which is attached to the head of the adjuster. Ahandle thus constructed can be telescopically extended or shortened asoccasion may on each side toward the outer arms, and having a centralbridge,as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination with a torpedo-adjuster constructed substantially asdescribed, a telescopic handle secured to the springinterposed betweenthe head of the device and said handle, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

4. A torpedo-adj uster consisting of ahead from which project threearms, constructed substantially as described, two springs to bear uponthe upper surface of the torpedo, a handle, and a spring interposedbetween the handle and head, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

JAMES H. BEVINGTON.

\Vituesses:

H. S. SPRAGUE, CHARLES .I. HUNT.

